Is there a definitive conversion chart somewhere?
Bruce7789
Posts: 397 ✭✭✭✭
As some of you know, I inherited a lot of coins. Whatever dealer graded them back when, used notations such as UNC, BU, CH BU, etc. Is there somewhere a chart that shows the correlated comparison between, for example, BU= MS 60, Ch BU = MS 63 or is it just a judgement call. I see coins listed as BU, CH BU, etc., but what, exactly what , if anything, do they mean? I can grade them approximately, but just wondered if the coin dealers had a system that means something for these grades? Again, for example, what is the difference between UNC and BU? I have some coins graded UNC that are as bright as the day they were minted. From looking at the coins, they mostly seem to be the same grade.
From what I'm seeing, a lot of sellers seem to be blowing smoke as regards their grading practices. Then again, I see coins graded by TPG services, including our host, that are as ugly as a Coyote date* and look like they were the loser in a demolition derby as far as scarring and bag marks, but are graded MS 65. ????????
I'm hoping a more experienced collector or dealer can explain the differences.
*For those of you that don't know, a Coyote Date is when you go bar hopping, and wake up in the morning with your arms around a date so ugly you'd rather chew off your arm than wake them up!
Comments
figuring in your paragraph 2 with the hunt for info from paragraph 1, I'd say you are getting an idea on what grades well and what does not. There's the old advice of buy the coin not the holder. I'd rec you grade them yourself and forget what is written on them.
Its all relative and very subjective. That why grading companies were invented.
In my mind, all BU are Unc but not all Unc are BU. Choice is better than BU, and Gem is better than Choice.
Somewhere at the bottom of the Unc/BU scale you had Sliders that were essentially AUs.
OK, thanks, you just more or less confirmed what I was wondering. I wasn't wondering about buying coins, since I ignore the sellers grading, even in some cases TPG's, (see my comment about ugly coins up above) I am going to be selling a bunch of coins with all of these various grades already written on them already, but wasn't sure if there was a "code" to go with them.
Basically, you are telling me that I need to post a picture of each coin so others can grade them, themselves, and with the sheer volume of coins involved, that just isn't going to happen! In just dimes, there are probably close to 100 or so by themselves, when you include all the proofs, and most of them are high grade and most of them, except the Mercury's, are uncirculated before 2000. So will have to figure something else out.
Thanks again,
oh wow. selling a bunch of modern MS (non-PR) modern dimes (not silver) would require grading skills to separate the worth-more-than-face-value coins from the face-value coins. basically those moderns would need to be like 66 up to be worth something. that said, selling them as a lot sight unseen will be quite difficult. there are varieties to look for like the 1982 no "P" dime, although you'll have to ask on the us coin forum for the best web site for this.
To complicate the issue, there are Silver dimes from 1946 to 1955 in various uncirculated grades to include some proofs of them! As an example:
In this one set, there are 46 coins, from 1946 to 1955 and I believe they are all there, but would have to check. l just took a few out at random as a sample! And these are only some of the Dimes. there are quarters, Kennedy's, etc. and a whole bunch of foreign. There are also multiples of some of the rarer coins.
And they way they are graded, doesn't help
My guess is they are just uncirculated dimes. Easy to sell as such.
I am also wondering if the staples have been flattened. Be careful not to scratch each other.
I keep them in a 35MM slide box where they don't encounter each other, but thanks for the warning anyway!